Huge outpouring of support from workers, customers for ousted Market Basket CEO

Monday

Jul 21, 2014 at 11:53 PMJul 22, 2014 at 11:15 AM

Marc Larocque Enterprise Staff Writer @Enterprise_Marc

Customers at the Market Basket store in Raynham grabbed shopping carts and petitions at the door on Monday.

Many of the customers who continued to shop among lightly stocked aisles at the Raynham location said that they support the store’s non-unionized workers as they fight an uphill battle to reinstate ousted CEO Arthur T. Demoulas. They said that they want Market Basket to retain its low prices and the culture of family created by Arthur T. Demoulas, who was praised by many Raynham store workers for his acts of kindness and consideration.

“I give the workers a lot of credit,” said Roberta Hoeg, who travels from Lakeville to do her shopping at the Raynham store. “We all support them 100 percent. … It’s very sad. Someone runs a company and does a good job maintaining the prices and the quality, and then it’s taken over for the money. It shouldn’t be that way.”

Outside, in front of the parking lot, a group of young employees from the Raynham store held up signs, with messages that said, “Honk for Artie T.,” “Fight for what is right,” and “Save our stores.”

One of those protesters was 23-year-old Josh Silva-Thomas, of Taunton, who said Market Basket’s ousted longtime owner Arthur T. Demoulas has a special place in his heart. When his younger brother, Nicholas Silva-Thomas, was killed in a fatal hit-and-run crash while riding his skateboard in Taunton in 2011, Arthur T. Demoulas sent an arrangement of roses in the red, white and blue colors of Market Basket, with a note featuring words of condolence and the former CEO’s direct phone number in case the family needed assistance.

“He did that to let us know if we needed anything, Market Basket is a family and he’ll help us out with funeral costs or anything,” said Silva-Thomas, who has worked at the Raynham store for eight years stocking shelves. “I think Artie T. is a very good guy. He was always there for his employees and his customers. He makes sure that we are No. 1.”

One image on a bulletin board outside the store showed a picture of Arthur T. Demoulas that was altered to mimic the artistic effect used in the famous Shepard Fairey image of President Obama, but instead of saying “HOPE” it says “I BELIEVE.”

Arthur T. Demoulas released a statement late Monday.

“This is the first time I have commented publicly on the recent events at Market Basket. The success of Market Basket is the result of two things: a business model that works and the execution of it by a dedicated and impassioned team of associates. Their fierce loyalty to the company and its customers has always been deeply valued. In the final analysis, this is not about me. It is about the people who have proven their dedication over many years and should not have lost their jobs because of it. I urge that they be reinstated in the best interest of the company and our customers.”

Longtime customers like Crystal Ciulla said that she “feels bad” for what the company is doing, causing workers to protest and shipments of foods to be delayed from the company’s Tewksbury headquarters, resulting in a sparsely stocked cereal section, a lack of bagged lettuce and an empty deli display.

“It’s terrible,” said Ciulla, of Raynham, who supports the workers.

Maggie Ciliberto, who has worked at the store for five years stocking goods, said she went to the 7,000-person strong rally held at company headquarters in Tewksbury on Monday morning, before joining her colleagues in Raynham who gathered to protest in front of the store in the early afternoon.

Ciliberto said she was taken aback by the response from many of the customers, who approached the protesters, asking whether they should come in the store and shop at all. The workers at the Raynham store were not encouraging a boycott, which was called for by several Massachusetts lawmakers. Instead, Ciliberto and others directed the customers to continue shopping at the Raynham store, but to also grab a petition at the door and support the cause. Most of the customers were receptive, honking their horns, cheering the protesters and encouraging them.

“Market Basket is a family and Arthur T. is the one who treated us like a family,” Ciliberto said. “All the changes that are going to happen without him — he is really the heart that brings us all together.”

The ongoing protests come at a time when the Raynham Market Basket is fending off competition from the new Walmart that opened next door earlier this year. As the Walmart opened, Market Basket instituted a storewide sale of 4 percent off for the entire year.

Claudia Plasse is a customer who drives from Middleboro to do her shopping at the Raynham location because of its low prices “that can’t even compare” to other area supermarkets. She said, “it’s shameful what they are doing.” Plasse, waiting in front of an empty deli display, said that she may consider shopping elsewhere if Arthur T. Demoulas is not brought back.

“It’s so wrong, firing the CEO like that,” Plasse said. “It’s a shame that they are forcing the customer who is on a fixed budget to shop elsewhere, and the money won’t go so far.”

The stakes were raised for many of the Market Basket workers after at least eight employees were fired over the weekend for skipping work to take part in the protests against the new ownership. The new ownership released a statement saying that the actions of the eight fired workers “continued to harm the company, negatively impacted customers, and inhibited associates’ ability to perform their jobs.”

Nonetheless, the Raynham store’s head manager Stephen Distasio was an enthusiastic participant at the Tewksbury rally, wearing red, white and blue face paint, an “I support Market Basket” T-shirt, and a button with the smiling face of Arthur T. Demoulas.

Taunton’s Doug Aranjo, a Market Basket employee for nine years, also attended the rally in Tewksbury before returning to the Raynham location to hold signs with his co-workers.

“Market Basket has helped me take care of my family for years,” said Aranjo. “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. And it definitely ain’t broke over here. We appreciate the support from everybody. Hopefully they will keep it up and any help we can get we’ll accept it.”

George Gouthier, a Market Basket employee for 28 years and now an assistant manager at the Raynham store, said that Arthur T. Demoulas deserves the support he is getting from his workers, who are willing to risk their jobs for the cause.

“I’m scared, but I stick behind him 100 percent,” Gouthier said. “I think that’s the only thing we can do. Mr. Demoulas, Artie T., that guy has done a lot for us. I’ve never been in a store before where the CEO knows you by first-name basis. All the stores you have, this guy will come in and remember who you are. He’s that kind of guy that takes care of you.”

Many loyal Market Basket customers from Taunton said that they respect Market Basket employees in Raynham for putting their jobs on the line by making their voices heard.

“My hat goes off to all the Market Basket employees and loyal Market Basket customers who are now at the Tewksbury headquarters to protest,” said Mary Donahue, a Taunton native and a longtime Market Basket customer. “It takes a lot of courage to risk your job and security to protest a cause you believe in so strongly.”